Is This The Future Of Voting? Rajasthan Polytechnic Students Invent Machine To Catch Fake Votes – News18

Last Updated:January 07, 2025, 09:11 IST

When a voter places their finger on the machine, known as the Biometric Election Ink Marker, it matches the fingerprint with stored data for verification. Upon successful verification, the machine automatically marks the finger with ink

In a significant development, students from Bikaner Government Polytechnic College in Rajasthan have invented a ‘Biometric Election Ink Marker’, poised for presentation to the Election Commission. The process of patenting this machine will also be initiated soon.

The machine’s unique feature lies in its ability to detect any attempt to cast a fake vote by removing ink from the finger, immediately preventing such fraudulent voting. The student and professor team behind this invention have also received an invitation to the CM House to showcase their project.

Professor Dr YB Mathur from the Mechanical Department, Professor Prashant Joshi from the Electronics Department, along with Gaurav Modi, a student at Government Polytechnic College, and junior student Devendra Yadav, spearheaded this project. Initiated between 2017 and 2018, the project reached completion in 2024.

During elections, officials often struggle with preventing fake votes, which is what prompted the team to start working on this solution. The project took about three years to complete.

The machine operates with the help of a microcontroller. When a voter places their finger on the machine, it matches the fingerprint with stored data for verification. Upon successful verification, the machine automatically marks the finger with ink. If someone tries to cast a vote again, an alarm will sound when their finger is placed on the machine.

The total cost of creating this machine is around Rs 4,000. The machine can also be linked to the voter’s face and Aadhaar data, further reducing the possibility of fake voting.

Professor YB Mathur highlighted the challenges faced during elections, such as verifying women’s identities without requiring them to reveal their faces and addressing issues posed by individuals with similar appearances or names. This machine effectively addresses these concerns, minimises ink usage, and eliminates the need for manual intervention. Equipped with integrated sensors and ink storage, the machine currently holds the data of over a thousand individuals, with efforts underway to enhance its capacity.

When a person places their finger on the machine, it attempts to identify them from its stored data. Successful identification results in the display of the individual’s name and a beep sound confirming ink application. Conversely, any attempt by a fraudulent voter will be met with non-recognition, preventing them from casting a vote.

How Machine Works

The machine stores comprehensive data for each polling booth. With voters linked to their Aadhaar information, the machine can instantly determine if a voter has already cast their vote by simply having them place their finger on it. This eliminates the need for manual verification by officials and significantly hinders attempts at fake voting.